Heterochromia
by sakurademonalchemist
Summary: Cloud was always an unusual child, but no one knew HOW unusual. Born with two different colored eyes, not even his mother was aware of the second soul sleeping in him. That all changes when he stumbles across a sleeping Turk in the old mansion and goes out into the wider world. Can Gaia handle the arrival of a bored Marauder?
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you to everyone who sent a message asking if I was alright. Sorry about the long hiatus everyone! Hopefully this new story will make up for it!**

**=D**

* * *

Cloud looked at his eyes in the mirror and sighed. If there was one thing he didn't like about himself, it was the fact he had such unusual eyes. It was a source of endless frustration for him, mostly because it made it impossible for him to be considered "normal" by Nibelhiem standards.

No one was entirely certain _why_ Cloud was born with two differently colored eyes, but the village doctor assured his mother that outside of the unusual coloring her son was perfectly healthy.

His right eye was a deep blue the same shade as his father, if his mother was to be believed. It was the left that gave him problems...his left was a deep verdant green and most of the villagers, particularly the adults, found it unnerving.

This was because the green eye seemed to have a depth to it that according to anyone caught within it's gaze, would peer into your soul and would 'judge' you. None of the adults wanted to be caught within that gaze and be found wanting somehow.

Cloud sighed.

As a defense mechanism to that problem, he had started to read more. His mother was all for it, and he had read practically everything in the village at least twice. While it solved part of the issue by directing the gaze of his left eye away from anyone who could be caught in it, it made him an outsider with the other children.

Most of the kids in the village weren't big on studying. Not only was reading books _boring_, but most of their future prospects were rather limited. At best, they could hope to assist their parents or be married off young to start their own family.

The amount of jobs in Nibelhiem was limited, and the village was rather closed off to outsiders.

As such a bookish child like Cloud was considered mostly abnormal.

The only reason the other children didn't tease him was because Cloud was unusually skilled at avoiding them when they got in the mood to harass the bookworm. The boy was like a ghost and rarely joined in on the games they played.

About the only time he _did_ get involved was during the incident with the Mayor's daughter Tifa.

No one was sure how or why Cloud had been up there with her. All that the adults knew was that Cloud had deliberately knocked Tifa out with his book shortly before the adults arrived to retrieve the children.

Cloud was given only a mild scolding for it, mostly because he had stopped Tifa from going onto the rickety bridge that collapsed shortly after she woke up. He hadn't really hit her that hard, so the girl watched with a pale face when she saw how close she had come to being dropped in the gorge below.

The mayor wasn't happy, but he also acknowledged that Cloud had saved his daughter's life.

Cloud turned away from the mirror with an irritated look. There was nothing he could do to change his eye color while he was in Nibelhiem.

But maybe he could get an edge for when he turned fourteen and finally hit the _minimum_ allowed age for the SOLDIER application. After all, the ShinRa mansion was within easy walking distance of the village and it wasn't like any of the adults would care if he borrowed books from there. He heard there was a massive library inside, and hopefully the books were still safe.

Cloud waited until he finished breakfast. Unlike the other children, he was allowed to skip the boring lessons held by an older woman who lost her husband. In order to support herself and not be subject to the village rumor mill, she taught the children of the village for a set sum.

Cloud was already far ahead of what she could teach, and most of it was basic stuff, nothing too advanced. His mother had been both proud and exasperated, because attending lessons was one of the few times Cloud bothered to interact with the other children.

He took his small lunch with him, and slipped away from the village. That was another quirk that made his mother fret, as the monsters outside the village were rather dangerous.

It took him all of two hours to reach the mansion and he was breathing hard. Though the mansion was close, the road was rather rough as it had been over a decade since anyone used it. Nibel winters were _hard_ and without any maintenance the road had taken quite a few hits. It really didn't help that Cloud was so short, and thus had to take even more strides just to traverse the distance.

Still he had made it, despite being heavily winded.

Who knew what sort of things he'd find inside?

Cloud's duo-colored eyes gleamed in anticipation.

* * *

_Several hours later..._

Cloud took it back...the mansion was a nightmare. He should have guessed some of the monsters would take up residence in the place and with his skills it was going to take forever to clear them out. He managed to slip past the worst of them, and he even found a strange note that promised treasure if he was clever enough to figure out the clues.

Unfortunately he had to return home. It was getting rather late and he didn't want his mother to worry.

Cloud reluctantly turned towards home, and got a rather stern scolding from his mother because it had just become dark when he returned. Worse, a storm was going to move in which meant he wouldn't be able to return to the mansion for a few days.

At least he had gotten some of the more interesting books from the massive library before he left the mansion.

Whoever thought putting in that massive _thing_ inside the safe was an insane bastard.

Cloud _barely_ managed to get away from it, once he swiped the contents of the safe. It was likely the mayor would have to call in ShinRa to deal with the thing, because there was no way a seven-year-old with only an unmastered summoning materia and not enough mana would be able to deal with that monstrosity.

The creature was preoccupied with the monsters he generally avoided, which gave Cloud the chance to duck into the library. He saw what looked like a secret passage a week ago.

It was awkward, and he almost fell twice off the stack of books he used to reach the lever. But he was rewarded when it swung open revealing a hidden passage that lead underground.

Hearing the monsters come closer, if only to avoid the creature he accidentally set loose, Cloud went down the passage without a second thought.

He had no doubts that the other monsters would be pissed and more inclined to chase after him if he encountered them now. Hopefully there was a way out that would get him far away from that monster in time to warn the village.

The lab gave him a really bad feeling, like certain men in the village did after one too many drinks. He avoided it and kept going, being as quick and quiet as he could so he could avoid the creatures in the ceiling.

He almost passed the ancient doors, except he had to stop and catch his breath. The monster was still rampaging upstairs, but it sounded like it was still in the foyer and nowhere near the library.

It probably couldn't fit through the narrow hallway. Hopefully it wouldn't get the presence of mind to break through the walls and to the outside world.

Cloud stretched on his very tip-toes, just barely able to slot the key into the lock.

It took him a few tries, but he was able to get the door unlocked. It took him even longer to get the door open, because it was _heavy_.

It was a crypt.

If it wasn't for the fact that going up would almost certainly result in his death and quite possibly the deaths of a good portion of his home, Cloud would have turned around right then and there.

He was tired, cranky and he just wanted to go home without having to worry about that _thing_ trashing the upstairs.

He looked around the coffins for a bit, before leaning against the one in the middle with a grumpy huff.

He did not expect the lid to start sliding open, because he slipped and crashed on the ground.

Tears filled his eyes a bit, mostly from the nasty scrape he got on his hands trying to catch himself.

A single golden claw reached out from the coffin and pulled him up by his belt.

"Brat...what are you doing _here_ all alone?" demanded an annoyed voice. "And what is making that racket upstairs?"

Cloud stared. It was the first time he saw someone with eyes almost as unusual as his own.

"There was a monster in the safe. I managed to get the key and the materia, but I'm too small to actually take it out."

The man stared at him.

"Why did you come here?" he half-asked.

Cloud shrugged.

"I already read all the books in the village, and none of the kids will come near this place."

The man looked like he had a headache.

"Is there anyone else here with you?"

Cloud shook his head.

The man eyed the upstairs, and then Cloud.

"Stay here. I'll deal with the monster you let out," he said firmly.

"Okay," said Cloud.

He was curious, not _stupid_. He knew he wasn't able to deal with that thing and it was really unlikely anyone in the village would be able to kill it either.

About thirty minutes later the man came back. Cloud knew the monster was dealt with, because it wasn't making any noise anymore.

The man sat down and pulled Cloud up to eye-level with him.

"Kid, why are you in this depressing place?"

Cloud wasn't afraid of him. Something inside told him this man wouldn't hurt him unless he did something really stupid. If anything the man felt tired and sad.

The man flinched slightly when Cloud's left eye caught his own red ones...like so many other adults, he could feel the ancient gaze behind that single eye, almost like a god of old judging you...weighing your life and soul against some scale you couldn't comprehend.

Then Cloud blinked, and the spell was broken. However whatever power the kid had behind that eye had definitely made Chaos sit up and take notice of the boy's existence.

Anything that attracted _his_ attention was something to be wary of.

"I wanted to read from the library in here. The other kids are too boring and immature, and they dislike me anyway because my eyes are weird and the adults don't like looking at them either. Besides, the mansion is safer than wandering the mountains," he replied honestly.

He stared at the small child.

"You broke into this place...for something to read?"

Cloud nodded. Then he looked disappointed.

"I can't understand most of the words. The lady who does the lessons only teaches us the most basic of things because anything more isn't really needed since the jobs available are really limited in the village," said Cloud.

"What sort of job do you want?" asked the man, curious.

"I want to apply for SOLDIER. Mom wasn't too happy, since she said I would do well in a school, but that costs money. I figure if I can get into SOLDIER or even the infantry, I can earn my way towards attending school and becoming a doctor or something," said Cloud.

"Why SOLDIER? There's plenty of places that would hire a smart kid," he asked.

"Yeah, but they don't come with most of the living expenses covered on top of combat training," said Cloud. "Even though the pay won't be very good, I'll still save on the living expenses and learn how to fight."

It seemed the kid had actually thought this through to an extent most wouldn't bother with. Besides, the standard contract was only ten years for the infantry. That gave the kid plenty of time to save up to attend a decent college _and_ possibly get a better job once he left the company.

"Kid, what's your name?" he asked.

"Cloud. Cloud Strife. What's your name mister?"

"Call me Vincent," said the red eyed man. He gave Cloud a somewhat calculating look. "Kid, how would you like to learn what the bigger words used in the books upstairs mean as well as early combat training?"

Cloud visibly perked up at the idea.

* * *

Vincent originally decided to train Cloud because the kid had a lot of curiosity and courage, but no real common sense to speak of.

Cloud had gone into a mansion just to access the _library_ inside. The fact he had accidentally set that monstrosity of Hojo's loose and didn't have a proper plan to deal with it said far too much of his character.

Vincent would give the kid this much credit though. He hadn't run away screaming and had thought through his options rather logically before he almost got stuck in the basement because of his actions. If Vincent hadn't been sleeping in the crypt below the mansion, Cloud would have been in deep trouble. The only other way out of the area from the cellars was a pipe that lead to the reactor, and that was filled with even stronger monsters and next to no places where someone as small and nimble as Cloud could hide.

Cloud was smart, too curious for his own good and had next-to-no self-preservation when he smelled an adventure, but he wasn't stupid or lazy.

The one thing that briefly baffled Vincent was Cloud's reaction to the news that items such as color contacts existed. The second the boy learned that, he promptly hugged Vincent as hard as he could.

Such things were slightly expensive, but considering Cloud's unusual eye color would be perfect to keep attention from being drawn towards him later. Considering the animosity the other children displayed towards him for being so unusual, Vincent could hardly blame Cloud for the fact he wanted to get his hands on something so ordinary.

Vincent wasn't the least bit surprised Cloud threw himself into training extra hard in how to fight, if only so he could go monster hunting and hopefully save up enough money to buy said contacts before applying to ShinRa as a potential cadet.

However there were times...rare, but very noticeable...when Cloud acted and behaved like a completely different person. Vincent suspected it had something to do with the green eye and the fact Chaos seemed to watch the small child with eager anticipation every time it happened, as if expecting something.

It was hard to say how Vincent knew there was something different whenever these moods hit Cloud. It almost felt like he was dealing with a kindred spirit of sorts, as strange as that sounded.

During those times, Cloud's green eye _glowed_ slightly from an internal light that Vincent knew damn well wasn't mako. Whatever it was made Chaos a bit too giddy for Vincent's mellow.

Vincent had to wonder if it was this other presence that had turned Cloud into such a bookworm.


	2. Chapter 2

Vincent had been suspicious before, but now he was almost certain of it.

There was another presence in Cloud's body. One that was put there long before the boy was born and was the reason why the boy had mismatched eyes. Unlike Chaos or the other voices in Vincent's head, this presence had _naturally_ integrated within the boy's soul, making it impossible to remove.

Also, this particular presence seemed to be firmly on the "helpful" side of the spectrum. Almost like an internal older brother that kept Cloud from making really stupid decisions.

Case in point, Vincent was almost positive that it was the influence of the older spirit that had lead Cloud to the cellar, rather than attempt to flee outside the front door. Odds were if he had, then there was a high chance that monstrosity would have gotten loose and caused untold damage and destruction. Not to mention Cloud's skill at disappearing.

No child learned that sort of skill in such a small village like this without being influenced by _something_. Otherwise the adults would be a lot more wary of Cloud in general for such obvious skills at sneaking about.

The only conclusion Vincent could come up with regarding Cloud's presence in Nibelhiem being almost nonexistent was that the spirit that was still half-asleep in the boy had deemed the village not worth the time or effort to bother interacting with the locals.

They might tolerate Cloud's presence with minimal complaint because he was born and raised there, but they certainly didn't accept him.

Considering how xenophobic and closed off Nibelhiem was, Vincent had to concede it was a smart move. Cloud at least had a viable plan for his life that was well thought out and likely to succeed long term, and it was thanks to that other presence. Outside of the Mayor's daughter, none of the other children really bothered to get close to Cloud.

And Tifa was usually surrounded by other children, who mostly liked her because she was 'popular' and the daughter of the most powerful man in the village, which meant she didn't really have much of a chance to interact with Cloud in the first place.

In all honesty, Cloud was better off training with Vincent than he was trying to have a 'normal' childhood. It might not be perfect, but at least the kid had someone who didn't dismiss him because of his age and intelligence and actually treated him with common decency.

However Vincent wasn't particularly inclined to stay in the mansion for much longer. Now that he was awake and aware again, he _really_ wanted to find out what had changed since he was locked in that basement. And he couldn't do it from Nibelhiem.

That being said, he was rather disinclined to leave Cloud here all alone. The boy's talents would be stifled and he was unlikely to achieve anything useful if left alone. Never mind the fact that the spirit had the worst habit of dragging Cloud into the most absurd situations that required an older, more experienced party to protect the kid!

Which was why Vincent was going to do the smart thing.

He was going to take Cloud on as an 'apprentice' and insure the kid's world-view grew a bit more before unleashing the little hellion on ShinRa.

(Vincent had been shocked...and more than a little terrified upon learning that the spirit in Cloud also made the kid an unrepentant prankster from hell. No _wonder_ Chaos kept cackling whenever that other presence was dominant.)

_A few days later..._

Cloud was worried. He hadn't seen Vincent for three days, and by this point he was concerned the other man had left for a while.

So you could imagine his open shock seeing Vincent at his tiny home talking to his mother about something.

His mother beamed at him when he came into sight. Cloud was unusually good at hiding in plain sight.

It took him a few moments to register what was going on, but once he did he couldn't help but gape at Vincent.

"Is this why you went missing for three days?" he asked. He never thought Vincent would bother coming into the village to offer him an apprenticeship...then again, he was practically apprenticed to Vincent already.

"I needed to make a few arrangements...specifically transportation," said Vincent. That had been a pain, but well worth it from the way Cloud had brightened considerably.

Cloud looked at his mother, with hope in his eyes and clear yearning to accept this offer.

"Far be it for me to hold you back. I knew you were destined for greater things, but I never expected our parting to be so soon," she said with a sigh.

Cloud was more or less stifled in this village, and would only benefit from an apprenticeship. At the very least it would give him _some _experience before he applied to as a SOLDIER cadet.

Cloud became the talk of the village, though only his mother saw him off.

* * *

Vincent wanted to sigh. He really should have guessed that once the initial shock of leaving his village had passed, Cloud's other self became far easier to deal with. Apparently it really didn't like being cooped up in Nibelhiem, which was why Cloud kept getting into such mischief.

That wasn't to say the boy didn't get into trouble, but at least this variety was more of the 'accidental' kind, rather than the 'overly curious' kind.

Cloud had a rather bizarre luck that kept getting them into little adventures, but at the end of it would result in a decent reward for their trouble.

No wonder Chaos liked him.

For the next year and a half, Vincent expanded Cloud's worldview considerably. The boy was voracious, and eagerly learned from the former Turk.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was far too disinclined to listen to authority and too curious for his own good, Vincent would have nudged him to the Turks. Cloud's ability to disappear in plain sight, even when someone like _Vincent_ was watching him closely, was a skill that would have had him snatched up in a heart beat.

Vincent dearly wanted to know how exactly Cloud pulled that off so easily.

It was only during one of Hellmasker's thankfully _rare_ moments of control that the other presence in Cloud's soul woke up and took over.

And he was not pleased.

Vincent couldn't fully control that aspect of himself, but he could still observe. He openly choked on his spit at the sight of the rather 'fluffy' blond boy bitch-slapping his most dangerous 'voice' and somehow exerting a level of control over him that Vincent would never have dreamed was possible, rather than running away.

The sight of Cloud's green eye glowing from an internal light that was more vibrant and terrifying than the kind given by Mako enhancements would be ingrained in Vincent's memory forever.

Vincent was honestly shaken when he managed to regain control over his body, but the presence didn't slip back into sleep.

Instead it seemed to peer deep into his soul, only this time was far more potent than the initial shock of meeting that gaze directly.

Vincent instinctively knew to his core that he was being judged. For what, he wasn't entirely sure but he knew for a _fact_ that failing would result in something irrevocably bad.

Cloud, or whomever was controlling his body at the moment, moved so fast Vincent almost missed it.

Something seemed to pass through him, and Vincent heard a howl of fury from Hellmasker before it abruptly went silent. Galian Beast howled as well, but it sounded more like anticipation than fear...and reminded Vincent strongly of the Nibel wolves that howled in greeting to their pack members.

Chaos shivered a bit, before settling. As for Death Gigas, Vincent would swear that a muzzle of sorts had been placed on it.

However that didn't change the fact that Hellmasker's presence was completely _gone_.

Vincent stared at the smaller boy with confusion and shock.

"Who...are you?"

He wasn't really expecting an answer. So the fact that Cloud spoke with a distinct accent Vincent didn't recognize was a pleasant surprise.

"_Call me Harry."_

Cloud seemed to slump, and Vincent quickly caught him before he blacked out on the ground.

That was certainly interesting, and at least he now had a name for the other soul in Cloud. Vincent was absolutely certain this "Harry" was the reason why Cloud had mismatched eyes.

Less than a month after Cloud's tenth birthday, Harry woke up again. Only this time he was considerably more alert.

Which was why Vincent took the opportunity to grill Harry about as much information as possible.

Harry, surprisingly enough, was rather happy to answer his questions. Mostly because he knew Vincent genuinely cared for Cloud and was more inclined to protect him, rather than use him for his own benefits.

Vincent walked out of that conversation with the knowledge that Harry was far more "useful" than any of the voices in his head. Not only was the other presence in Cloud's body more protective than anything, but it also held knowledge and powers that were from another world.

It was rather hard to dispute such a claim when Harry easily turned Vincent's long black hair into a bright red that matched his cloak and eyes.

Harry snickered at the indignant squawk Vincent gave upon realizing his hair was another color. Chaos cackled.

No materia could do that, and much of the knowledge Harry had was completely foreign to Vincent.

At least he was able to answer the question of where Cloud had gotten the skill to slip away unnoticed and to sneak up on even Vincent. Apparently Harry was so used to being hunted by other humans that he had developed the skill set of a natural assassin and spy.

Vincent couldn't tell if Harry would have made an excellent Turk, or a rather poor one. Either way his personality and Cloud's natural one had merged so seamlessly it would be impossible to tell the two apart at this point. At least Harry was far more helpful towards Cloud than any of the voices Vincent had to deal with since the incident. And he had somehow removed Hellmasker completely. For that reason alone Vincent was heavily disinclined to do anything about it.

* * *

Vincent and Cloud were heading to a very secluded area in the Wutai mountain range. According to Harry, when he first arrived on Gaia he had brought some useful things with him. However the shock of going through the Lifestream had caused him to reincarnate almost immediately... likely because Gaia was understandably wary of letting any foreign entities from gaining a foothold on the planet after what happened with Jenova.

As a result, Harry soul ended up in the lifestream right around the time Cloud's mother became pregnant. He was annoyed at first, until he realized this was an excellent second chance to have a proper childhood as his own had been robbed from him by a manipulative old man with delusions of grandeur. In order to avoid suspicion, Harry gave Cloud the majority of control over the body and merely nudged the boy here and there.

However the things he brought with him should have remained intact, as there was a spell over the trunk that kept anyone who didn't have a basic grounding in the style of magic Harry used from finding it, including the resident monsters.

Cloud's green eye glowed once they were close. It was clear Harry was wide awake.

When they reached the area, Vincent could tell _something_ had happened as there was a bit of an impact crater. This one was much smaller than the one created by Jenova (according to Chaos anyway), but the energy present was still quite potent. Enough that if Chaos hadn't already gotten a decent read on Harry's personality he might have been quite worried.

Cloud easily walked towards the center, before veering off slightly to a random spot near the edge of the crater. There was a hole almost as big as Cloud when Vincent first met him, and though his eyes could see nothing, it didn't take much for Vincent to realized that there might be something there.

It wasn't that the hole was empty, just that his eyes kept averting from that spot and making him dismiss anything he saw inside as unimportant and ordinary.

Vincent rather applauded the move...invisibility was impressive, but that sort of trick was far more effective against casual observers.

Cloud managed to pull something out, and his eyes kept averting itself from it...right up until Cloud muttered something under his breath...and suddenly a decently sized trunk appeared out of nothing.

Cloud dutifully followed Harry's instructions. As his original body had been destroyed thanks to Gaia's actions, there was no way for him to open up the trunk. However Cloud could use the slightly altered magical signature to bind the trunk to him and his bloodline instead, since the magic would register him as an unofficial 'son' of Harry's bloodline, regardless of any blood connection.

Once Cloud was done, having wrapped up his hand, he was able to open the trunk properly.

Inside were a myriad of things, but the part that shocked Vincent the most was the fact that the rather 'ordinary' piece of furniture apparently had multiple _rooms_ inside, expanded by magic. So much so that they could literally crash inside and not have to worry about being attacked by monsters on the road, complete with a full kitchen, bath and assorted odds and ends that would make the trunk as close to an actual home as you could possibly get.

Vincent was more inclined to stay in the tent, even if the thing rattled him almost as badly as the trunk because it was almost _literally_ a mansion. The only reason he could vaguely accept the idea was because expanded tents were rather common, if expensive and could only hold four people each. At least they wouldn't have to waste money to sleep in an actual bed anymore...though both Cloud and Vincent enjoyed sleeping under the stars so long as the weather allowed it.

The thing that interested Vincent the most was the odd cloak Cloud pulled out. Any Turk would be fascinated by the concept of a piece of clothing that made one completely invisible and impossible to detect outside of stringent training!

Fortunately Harry didn't mind loaning it to Vincent for a time, as it would draw far too much attention once he entered ShinRa as a cadet. Besides, having the cloak took all the fun of sneaking around in plain sight to play pranks on people who deserved it, like Hojo and that fat pig of a president!


	3. Chapter 3

Cloud was a mixture of feelings. He knew this was the first real step to his future, but he couldn't help but feel nervous. After all, he was leaving the closest thing he had to a proper father figure in his life and setting out on his own. However he was also excited, because it meant he was unofficially stepping out of the shadow of Vincent.

Fortunately he still had Harry to fall back on, not that anyone was aware of that fact. He had come to view Harry as the awesome older brother that brought his baby sibling with him on epic adventures that would only make the other kids green with envy because their stories weren't nearly as cool. He didn't spoil Cloud, but he was often rather generous with praise and advice that would last him in long stead.

Vincent wouldn't enter Midgar directly...too many eyes and it ran the high risk of being found by Hojo. However he would still wish Cloud luck on entering the SOLDIER program.

If nothing else, he could do his best to attract the attention of the Turks. While the contract was slightly longer, it also gave better benefits than the Infantry.

Right before Cloud boarded the train to Midgar, he paused and turned back to a surprised Vincent and hugged him.

Vincent got over the shock soon enough and hugged him back. He viewed Cloud as a surrogate son, and it didn't hurt that Cloud had once slipped and called him 'dad' in his hearing. The fact Vincent didn't dispute it had only solidified that particular relationship.

"You'll drop my letters off for Mom, won't you?" asked Cloud.

"I'll be sure she gets them," said Vincent.

Cloud had written many, many letters to his mother along with part of the money he earned hunting monsters. While she couldn't reply back, as he never stayed in one place too long, he could at least feel better knowing he hadn't forgotten about her.

Cloud boarded the train and took a deep breath. One stage of his life was over and another would soon begin. He would openly admit he was terrified to some extent, but at least he had a fall back option. Earning money towards a college education with monster hunting wasn't ideal, but it was still a better prospect than others.

* * *

_In the admission hall..._

Cloud was beyond relieved he had color contacts in. Most who saw his green eye became rather disconcerted and unable to meet his gaze twice. Vincent was one of the rare few who could meet his gaze solidly without flinching.

With the contact in, the effect was dulled enough to be dismissed after a few moments. No matter how irritating it was to wear it.

What followed next was rather dull, but Cloud put up with it. He had to sigh about the fact that he apparently was the _smallest_ cadet in the program, but took solace in the fact he was clearly the smartest and most crafty.

Any of the other cadets that tried to make trouble for him would find themselves up against an opponent who knew how to fight back and leave his enemies cringing at the thought of facing him twice.

After all, Harry had give Cloud a base knowledge of several martial arts not seen on Gaia, and Vincent had helped to hammer the forms into his muscle memory so that he could execute them as easily as breathing. Combine that with his natural talent towards swords and he became a formidable fighter.

Though just in case, Cloud also had a smaller gun that Vincent had given him as a present for his birthday, along with an aptitude towards sniping from Harry. Even if the only time he could use it was by covering his blue eye.

He could tell right away that the others looked down upon him, likely thinking he was playing at being a cadet. As the smallest and possibly weakest candidate for the program, it was inevitable that he would be bullied. After all, if he dropped out it was one less rival.

For the next week, Cloud felt like he was bored out of his mind. However he never once dropped his guard. The other boys, especially those who were much older than him, were clearly waiting for a sign of weakness or a chance to ambush him. The other boys were disinclined to help him, as they were just as vulnerable.

So when it finally did happen, Cloud made sure they paid with blood for thinking he was an easy target.

* * *

_In the hospital..._

"What happened?" demanded Angeal Hewley.

Genesis might not take his duties as a commander seriously, and Sephiroth was too busy to care about teenagers who hadn't proven themselves to be worthy of being called SOLDIER, but Angeal did care enough to investigate why ten cadets had been hospitalized.

"They all claim they fell...however I'm thinking they went after more than they could chew and paid a heavy price," said the doctor, more amused than he should be considering the situation.

"What?" said Angeal baffled.

"From what I can tell, they targeted a younger cadet in order to bully him, except the kid had more vicious claws than they were expecting," said the doctor.

Angeal looked at the list of injuries. All of them were pretty nasty, but nothing too damaging. Either way they'd be licking their wounds for the better part of a month, which would set them back considerably. It was unlikely any of them would make SOLDIER unless they trained their asses off to compensate, if they weren't dropped from the cadet program early for lagging behind.

Angeal had a headache and went to find the security tapes. It would likely explain more than the doctor would.

The cadets chose their spot well...it was off the beaten path, but they missed one of the cameras so Angeal had some idea what happened.

Nine of the older cadets surrounded a younger, smaller cadet with blond spiked hair. It was pretty clear their intentions were to gang up on the younger boy in order to establish some sort of pecking order. Or even more likely, to try and drive the younger boy out and hopefully thin out the possible competition later.

What happened next had Angeal rewinding the tapes twice in disbelief.

One minute the fight was one-sided against the smaller boy...the next the tiny kid revealed some rather nasty claws and made the older boys pay dearly for the mistake of cornering him alone in tight quarters.

Angeal had to give it to the blond...he was smart enough not to try and overpower them, but used his small size and a rather impressive display of dexterity to his advantage. He also wasn't afraid to fight dirty, and even though he got a black eye and a busted lip for his efforts, he still won.

That being said, Angeal was still going to reprimand the older boys. He felt the damage that the blond teen had inflicted was penance enough for picking the wrong opponent.

Cloud felt a strange sort of respect being sent his way from the younger cadets, and a wary gaze sent from the older ones.

Word had spread how some of the more overbearing boys in the program had tried to jump him and show Cloud his 'place' in the pecking order...but had ended up in the infirmary with wounds that would take some time to heal instead, whereas Cloud walked away with a black eye and a busted lip.

However since Cloud had a tendency to be a lone wolf, the older boys mostly left him alone.

When the older boys healed up enough to rejoin classes, they gave Cloud a bit of a wider berth, as the pain he inflicted was not easily forgotten.

However that didn't stop them from targeting the other new cadets who were roughly around Cloud's age.

* * *

_Outside the mess hall..._

Violet eyes watched the cadets in the hall. After the minor incident a month ago, Zack Fair had shown a strong interest in the tiny teen that had caught his mentor's attention. Angeal hadn't given much detail, but by this point most of the serious SOLDIERs had seen the video of a tiny ball of fluff taking down nine older boys and getting only minor injuries in return.

Cloud Strife didn't know it, but that single incident had brought him to the attention of several factions, including the Turks. Many of whom were quite eager to see what the boy would do next.

Which was why Zack was in the mess hall, though he didn't particularly like the food.

Luck seemed to be on his side... the boys from the earlier incident were clearly moving towards a small group of younger, weaker cadets with intent to cause trouble for them.

When Cloud walked in, most people dismissed his presence. After all, it was unlikely anyone would interfere with what was going on.

In the cadet program, bullying was so common it wasn't remarked upon, so long as they didn't draw too much attention from someone who would care.

So it came as a complete surprise when, the moment Cloud took note of what was going on, he decided to do something about it.

No one dared to speak when the biggest, strongest bully suddenly found food down his shirt and back. He had been hit hardest among the nine who ganged up on Cloud before.

The bully turned, fully intent on making the life of whoever did that hell...provided they weren't higher ranked than him of course.

Instead he found himself being stared down by the same tiny chocobo who kicked his ass before.

"My hand slipped," said Cloud dryly, and anyone with a brain could tell he didn't mean a single word of it.

The bully snarled.

"You think you're hot stuff, just because you got off easy before?"

"No, I think you're an overbearing moron with the brain the size of a walnut who picks fights on others to make yourself look better since your skills suck ass," said Cloud deadpan.

Zack had to bite back the laugh that wanted to come out hearing that deadpan reply. But Cloud wasn't done...and every word he said made it harder for the Second to hold back his amusement.

"Then again you're so pathetic you have to gang up on those weaker than you because you don't have the balls to prove yourself superior with your ability alone," said Cloud.

The bully saw red.

"The next sparring match, I am going to fucking kill you," he snarled.

Cloud pointedly looked the boy up and down, paying particular attention to the boy's crotch before snorting.

"You think you have the balls to actually beat me, or did you get tired of the girls laughing at you for being a complete disappointment?" he shot back without hesitation.

Dead silence. No one expected Cloud to have this much bite, let alone being brazen enough to piss off the older, stronger boy into a fight.

One of the cadet trainers apparently felt Cloud was being too arrogant, and needed to be brought down a notch. He didn't care about the ego of the older boy, he just didn't like the way Cloud was acting at the moment.

"Both of you, training hall, now," he said coldly. The bully apparently figured out the trainer's intention, because there was a gleam of anticipation in his eyes.

Cloud looked indifferent at best.

Zack eagerly went to the training hall, and he wasn't the only one. Most wanted to see if Cloud could back up his words with actual skills, or if he would get his ass handed to him.

There was even some betting going on. Most bet on the bully, but Zack had a sneaking suspicion Cloud wasn't going to let the older boy off easily. He put a decent chunk of his recent paycheck on the blond. If he won, then the rewards would be more than double what he got paid this month.

Zack watched with anticipation. Cloud picked up a sword that suited his smaller stature well, while the bully picked up a bigger one.

"Fight until one of you is critically injured or knocked out. No killing," said the instructor.

The two took a stance, and waited.

"BEGIN!"

Zack had to admit, the bully's form wasn't too bad. If he trained properly he might make a decent Third at best. However when he glanced at Cloud's smaller form, he was confused. The blond hadn't moved from his spot until the very last second, when he promptly tripped the older boy.

The bully slammed into the ground hard with the momentum he had. Zack could tell right away his nose was broken at the very least.

"You wretched brat! That was a dirty trick!"

Cloud openly rolled his eyes.

"Only an idiot would try to fight a bigger, older opponent with brute force. So what if I use shameless tricks to beat you up? It just means I'm not that stupid! At the end of they day, the only thing that matters is who survives!" he shot back without hesitation.

Zack had to nod at that. The boy was right...once the dust settled, who cared if the winning party used dirty tricks? In the field it was your life on the line and if using dirty tricks meant you came home, then who cared?

The bully ran at Cloud like an enraged behemoth. Cloud used minimal movement to avoid his charge and attacks, letting the older boy wear himself out. Zack could already tell that the bully was going to lose...he was using up too much energy and his attacks were too wide.

If one connected it might be a different story, but Cloud was like a slippery snake...he used his smaller, compact size to get in the older boy's guard and deliver some rather nasty hits that took even more of the bully's strength away.

Finally Cloud delivered a truly devastating blow to the bully's knee, knocking him to the ground. Before the brute could recover, Cloud delivered an nasty kick to the boy's temple, knocking him out cold.

The entire hall was silent. No one expected the slip of a teenager to beat the older, stronger boy!

Zack grinned...he liked the blond's style. As he went to collect his winnings, he made a note of the boy's appearance. Perhaps it would be worth becoming friends with the kid, if only so he could personally see how far Cloud would go in life?

With their leader soundly defeated in a straight up fight, the other bullies backed off when they noticed Cloud's gaze on them.

The younger, weaker cadets were slowly beginning to realize that perhaps they would have a quiet protector from the harassment they received for the past two months.


	4. Chapter 4

Cloud was highly confused. To be fair, he wasn't really used to interacting with others his own age at all because he spent so much time reading or with Vincent. So he had a great deal of trouble dealing with Zack.

Zack wasn't an idiot...it was pretty clear Cloud had very few friends his own age, but he wasn't a braggart like most would be after the display he made. If anything the kid was a lone wolf who didn't know how to be social, and likely spent most of his time reading.

Since Cloud had caught his interest, Zack was down and determined to break the blond out of his shell.

"Why do you keep visiting me? Don't you have training to do?" asked Cloud confused.

"Right now I'm training you in how to be a little more social, Cloudy! A chocobo that stays by itself will die from loneliness you know!" said Zack with a laugh.

Cloud gave him a deadpan look.

"That's rabbits, and it's never been proven that they can die from being alone. And I'm not a chocobo!"

"Come on Cloud, all you ever do is read during your free time. You need to live a little!" said Zack.

Cloud gave him a grumpy look.

"I agree to go with you tonight will you leave me alone?" he asked.

"Yup! Come on Spike, it'll be fun!" said Zack grinning.

Cloud was irritable enough that the filter on his brain-to-mouth had a hole you could ride a behemoth through.

"Fun? What is this 'fun' you speak of? Is it the sort of thing a person with actual _friends_ gets up to when people aren't actively avoiding them for something they can't control?" snarked Cloud peeved.

Zack gave Cloud and odd look.

"You've never had friends before?"

Cloud refused to look him in the eye, wishing he had a book...either to hide behind or even better, to smack Zack on the head with. He wasn't picky.

"Most of the kids in my village avoided me and it didn't help that the adults had a hard time looking me in the eye. There's a reason I started reading so much," said Cloud, not answering the question.

"You need to give the books a break Spike," said Zack. "Otherwise you're more likely to end up in the Science department or somewhere boring, instead of SOLDIER."

Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Zack, I enlisted in the program because I didn't know how old you had to be to join the Infantry and the Turks are exclusively an invite-only group. However everyone knows SOLDIER cadets can enlist as early as fourteen, and it meant I could leave Nibelheim in only a few short years. It's not like SOLDIER was my actual career goal in the first place."

Zack stared at him aghast.

"Then why enlist?"

"Because joining ShinRa as a cadet or even part of the Infantry would mean my living expenses were covered and a standard contract would mean I wouldn't have to worry about being laid off while earning money to afford higher education once my contract was up," said Cloud honestly.

Zack stopped cold and looked at Cloud with an odd expression on his face.

"So just to be clear, you joined the cadet program because you want to go to _college_?"

"ShinRa might have a crappy paycheck, but it's guaranteed employment for at least ten years and paid living expenses. By the time my contract would have ended, I would have built up enough cash to pay for a decent apartment and afford a good college," shrugged Cloud.

Zack...had no words. He couldn't believe someone as skilled as Cloud was in the SOLDIER cadet program just so he could afford _college_, regardless of whether he made it into the SOLDIER program or not.

It was such a waste, in his opinion. Besides, who didn't want to be a SOLDIER?

* * *

Zack was both highly annoying and persistent. However Cloud could say he was having more fun than he was used to. Vincent wasn't much of a 'social' person, so they spent more time training, hunting and collecting treasure than spending time with others.

Zack, however, was the life of the party and he was determined that Cloud join him.

It was during a night of drinking that Cloud's annoyance with Zack went up a notch higher than usual.

He had been reaching for the food when Zack slapped him on the back with a laugh over something another person said. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, except Cloud knew immediately something was wrong when he felt his contact fall out.

It took him a moment to figure out where it was before he grimaced. There was no way he could wear it now after it fell into his straight soda. And he wasn't going to drink it now that his contact had fallen into it. Cloud sighed and discreetly removed his contact before ordering another drink...this time alcoholic so Zack wouldn't comment.

He searched his pockets for a bit, before he realized he must have left his spare back in the barracks.

"Cloud? You alright?"

"I'm fine. My eye is just bugging me is all," said Cloud. He had learned how to keep one eye closed a while ago.

"That's not good," said Zack.

"I think I'll finish my drink and head back early," said Cloud.

When he got to the barracks, annoyance turned to slight alarm when he realized that his spare was missing.

_The next morning..._

"Cloud! What happened to your eye?!" said Zack with open alarm.

"I told you it was bugging me last night. It should be fine in a few days," said Cloud dismissively.

He couldn't find his spare contact, and he had gotten used to hiding his left eye. Unfortunately he couldn't cover it up with bangs because the front part of his hair spiked all over and refused to cooperate.

Which was why Cloud was wearing a minor eye patch he swiped from the infirmary.

Zack look dismayed.

"What did the doctor say?"

"It's nothing to worry about and it's not contagious. I just need to wear this for a few days before I can take it off," said Cloud.

Mainly because in a few days he would have his first paycheck and he would be able to buy some new color contacts. It wasn't that there was a problem with his sight, but more that he liked the fact people could look at him in the face properly instead of averting their gaze to the side in order to avoid eye contact with him. Spending most of his childhood having people avoiding direct eye contact had left a mark on his psyche.

Zack was worried, so he went to the infirmary to learn what was wrong with Cloud's eye.

Imagine his surprise learning Cloud hadn't actually seen the doctor at all.

A few days later, when Cloud was paid, Zack followed him to find out what he was hiding...except Cloud disappeared into the crowds and no matter what Zack tried, he couldn't find his friend.

Dejected, Zack went back to the barracks to wait for Cloud. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew Cloud was hiding something and he just wanted to make sure his friend was okay.

_With Cloud..._

"Are you sure that's a good idea kid?" asked the lab tech. Cloud had just taken off the medical eye patch and was putting in his new contact.

"It's fine. I mostly put that on so people wouldn't ask about my eye color," said Cloud dismissively, blinking a bit while his eye readjusted to light again. A few tears later, and he was back to normal.

He looked in the mirror and frowned, before shrugging.

The fact the color was noticeably off didn't bother him, since it was mostly the effect the left eye had on others that made him cover it up. He had lived with mismatched eyes his entire life after all.

Cloud bought extras, none of which were prescription, and left the pharmacy.

He returned to the barracks and was slightly irritated to see Zack there.

"Cloud!" said Zack with relief. Then he got a good look at the younger teen's eyes and stared. "Why did your eye change color?"

"I'm wearing special contacts."

"Contacts?" said Zack, blinking.

"I wear contacts. Didn't it say so in my file?" said Cloud.

"No, your file lists you as having perfect vision," said Zack.

"Oh... I guess the physician didn't notice them then."

"So what was wrong with your eye?" asked Zack.

"I lost my contact in my drink the other night, and I couldn't find my spare. I had to wait until I had my paycheck to get new ones," said Cloud honestly.

"I think the company health plan covers prescriptions like that," said Zack.

"Mine is an over-the-counter sort of prescription. I doubt ShinRa would pay for it," said Cloud.

Especially since the contacts weren't prescription in the first place.

Right now Cloud was just relieved his left eye was covered.

* * *

The first time Cloud saw Sephiroth, and not from some old photos from the files he stumbled across in the lower lab near the crypt, he couldn't help but stop and stare for a moment before forcibly reminding himself that he had other things to do.

Much to his dismay later, Zack noticed the entire thing and grinned.

So Cloud was interested in Sephiroth? That sounded like an excellent way to bring the blond out of his shell and socialize with others!

Cloud noticed the look in Zack's eyes and immediately became wary.

"What are you planning?"

"You didn't say that you had a crush on Sephiroth!" said Zack gleefully.

Cloud looked at him with a flat expression.

"Zack...I'm a growing teenager just now hitting the full force of puberty," said Cloud slowly, as if talking to an idiot. "_Tile_ is likely to turn me on since my hormones are still unstable."

Zack snorted at that. Cloud was way too serious at times.

"Come on Cloud, it's normal to have a crush! I'd bet you'd get a kick out of the Silver Elite meetings!" said Zack cackling.

Cloud reacted to that name with a hiss.

"Are you insane, you daft idiot?!" he hissed a bit too loudly. He didn't notice that he had caught Sephiroth's full attention. "I wouldn't wish something as asinine as that stupid fan club on my worst enemy! I'm sure General Sephiroth is just as sick of his stalk... I mean _fans_ as any sane, rational person would be!"

Zack snorted.

"You were totally going to say stalkers, weren't you?"

Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"You have a _better_ description for people who think it's perfectly normal to make such detailed notes of what sort of food the general likes, where he likes to frequent and often mistake lust and physical attraction for _love_?" said Cloud sarcastically. "I _know_ there's a standing order for certain members of the infantry to guard the general from those rabid idiots when he's out doing something as mundane as shopping!"

Zack raised his hands in mock-defeat.

"I get it. You don't like the Silver Elite!"

"If anything I have to say I pity the general for having _fan girls_," said Cloud with a shudder. "It's a disease with no known cure and they are an absolute _nightmare_ to deal with."

"Aren't you being a little too paranoid about this?" asked Zack.

"Zack, being fan girls automatically drops the IQ and rationality of anyone afflicted with it down at least a hundred points whenever they're within range of their object of lust," said Cloud with a hiss. "If properly motivated, they will ignore any sense of privacy or personal space and make the life of the object of their affections _hell_ all in the name of 'love' which is closer to lust and physical desire than any real emotional attraction. Only a fool would want such a headache."

If Cloud were paying attention, he would have noticed the speculative and highly disturbed look on Sephiroth's face. The worst part was that Cloud was describing the problem a little too well for his comfort. Was it possible Cloud had to deal with a fan girl before, and it left him so traumatized that he refused to get close to anyone to avoid a repeat?

At the very least, if Cloud did develop a crush, he wasn't likely to join the sycophants known as the Silver Elite. That was a small mercy at least.

Zack dropped the matter, and they walked a bit further away.

However that didn't stop the fact that Cloud had developed an interest in Sephiroth after seeing him training with his sword. He didn't really pay attention to the Three Generals outside of recognizing a general description of them and knowing their names. He had more interesting things to read. The grace in his movements fascinated the blond, but his common sense reminded him that Sephiroth was likely used to having admirers. It was unlikely he'd even notice Cloud's possible affections unless something big tilted the odds in his favor.


	5. Chapter 5

Cloud was somewhat nervous. Today was the start of the exams that would weed out the unworthy from those that would become newly minted SOLDIERs. Regardless of what he might have said to Zack, he wasn't that enthusiastic about being in the Infantry. He knew the Turks had been observing his group a little more than the others, but he wasn't certain if they were interested in him or not.

He did not want to work under Heidigger...the man was a complete and utter braying jackass that had a really horrible laugh.

"Next!"

Cloud went to the instructor and did the same basic drills he always did. While physical strength wasn't technically a requirement, being able to finish the actual test without passing out did play a big part.

_Inside the observation room..._

"So that's him? The oddball cadet that had most of the higher ups so riled up?" asked Reno.

Cloud Strife was a highly unusual cadet. Unlike the rest of the teens who applied for the possibility to become a SOLDIER, Strife had entered the company with a clear goal in mind that was both surprising and highly sensible.

It was probably the first time a cadet had entered the program purely so he could earn money towards a decent college once his contract was up.

What the teen likely didn't know was that the company could just as easily _sponsor_ him during his education if he filled the right forms out and got the attention of the right people.

Sephiroth didn't normally pay attention to cadets...but Strife had his interest for a while now and it didn't hurt that Zack was Angeal's personal student.

Letting a talented fighter like Strife go into the infantry would be too much of a waste...while he wasn't the strongest fighter, he was definitely the most cunning and intelligent one. As for his ability to work with others, Cloud had a natural affinity towards leadership, but was also capable of acting as a subordinate provided the one leading the group wasn't a complete idiot.

Sephiroth vividly remembered the training exercise where one of the older cadets was told to lead his group into combat, and almost lead the younger and more inexperienced fighters right into what would have been a death trap had it not been a hologram.

Cloud had taken _one_ look at the monster, then at his fellow cadets and promptly knocked out the leader before creating a new plan that allowed the weaker cadets to defeat the monster and keep their downed leader alive.

While he had failed that particular exercise, the fact he knew how to handle the monster because he had done his studying properly on what they might face in the exercise had allowed the rest of the cadets (sans the leader and Cloud) to pass with flying colors.

Cloud failed most of the strength tests, but breezed right through the exams that required actual studying and the combat test.

Sephiroth looked at the scores...outside of the strength and stamina exercises, Cloud was a well-rounded individual. It was only natural he wouldn't do well on the exams requiring a certain degree of upper body strength, as he was only fourteen and still had a lot of growing to do. If his scores on the other exams had been lower, then he would have been told to try again later.

However the score he had now was a passing mark...barely.

Sephiroth looked at Tseng. So far it was unclear whether the Turks were interested in recruiting the blond or not. Either way, the general felt Cloud would be a good addition to his forces.

* * *

Cloud took the envelope and carefully took out the letter. This was it...this would determine whether he'd be stuck with Heidigger or whether he'd have to interest the Turks enough that they offered a spot with them.

He couldn't help but stare at the results.

"Fail, Strife?" sneered one of the older teens.

Most of the older cadets didn't particularly like Cloud Strife... they all felt that the younger boy made them look bad, especially after he knocked one out during a training exercise in the hologram room and proved to be a better leader.

The younger cadets, on the other hand, _loved_ Cloud. He was like a lone wolf that kept the bullies from harassing them.

Even though it was pretty obvious Cloud was really unused to being around others his age that actually wanted to talk to him. Socially awkward didn't begin to cover it.

Zack came in about an hour and a half later, and the second he spotted Cloud he grinned widely.

"Way to go Spike! I knew you had it in you!"

Cloud was still in shock, but he did manage a smile at least.

"You know what this means don't you? You get to come drinking with me and Angeal!" said Zack with cheer.

What he didn't mention was that he had convinced Sephiroth to join them, if only to shut Zack up and get a break from his paperwork.

Hearing Cloud squeak when he saw the general made the entire thing worth it in Zack's opinion.

Since this would likely be the last time Cloud would be able to get properly _drunk_, as mako ate through booze like nobody's business and made it too expensive for most to bother with, Zack wasn't going to let the blond leave until he was so shit-faced that he couldn't walk home in the morning.

Zack had a plan...and that plan was to get Cloud so drunk that he woke up in Sephiroth's apartment with no idea how he got there.

He just didn't know the consequences of getting Cloud so drunk that his brain-to-mouth filter was shot to hell.

* * *

_Later that night..._

Sephiroth was honestly irritated with Zack. After hearing Cloud's rather well-reasoned argument against a public bar...citing the fact that a drunk Sephiroth would almost certain bring the Silver Elite on them and Cloud didn't want to get arrested for setting them on fire... Zack had agreed to getting drunk in a more private setting.

The reason Sephiroth was irritated was because the blond was clearly drunk off his ass, and Zack kept trying to convince him to try new drinks anyway. The kid was going to be miserable as hell in the morning, and Sephiroth suspected that if Zack had his way, _he_ would be the one to deal with it.

"Zack, I think he's had enough," said Sephiroth firmly. Why did Angeal put up with this idiot?

"I agree...Cloud's looking a bit too dizzy to handle much more," said Angeal.

"Oh let him be. It would teach the kid a lesson about trying to drink a SOLDIER under the table," said Genesis.

Sephiroth was not ashamed that he called in reinforcements. After fifteen minutes of Zack's ill-thought out enthusiasm, he needed Angeal's calming presence.

Cloud snorted.

"So long as I don't have to deal with that hack Hojo when I get my injections," he said suddenly.

Sephiroth blinked. He wasn't the only one.

"Cloud, are you feeling alright?" said Zack with honest concern.

Cloud gave him a surprisingly lucid glare.

"Considering I know enough to eat actual food while drinking, I'm alright. But I think I'll stick to soda or water for the rest of the night. I'm not that stupid."

"Cloud, you called Hojo a _hack_," said Zack.

"That's because he is one, though Hollander isn't much better," said Cloud dismissively.

Sephiroth looked at Cloud, who looked like he was having a great deal of trouble staying awake at the moment.

"What makes you say that Hojo and Hollander are hacks?" he asked.

"Because Hojo has spent the past couple of decades trying to recreate another scientist's work and failing, rather hilariously at that. Compared to Gast, Hojo is a third rate scientist at best."

Sephiroth stiffened.

"Who's Gast?" asked Angeal, wondering what made Sephiroth so shocked.

"The former head of the ShinRa Science department," said Cloud without a second thought. "Considering what a weasel Hojo is, I wouldn't be surprised if that asshole killed Gast for his position and managed to cover it up."

Sephiroth was looking at Cloud intently now.

"How do you know that name?"

Cloud looked rather dizzy at the moment, before he rubbed his left eye.

"Contacts bothering you again?" asked Zack with sympathy.

Cloud blinked rapidly, but it was clear the contact wasn't staying where it should. Zack went to get the container for them, and Cloud easily popped it out before putting a few eye drops in. He was too drunk to replace it at the moment.

"Cloud, how do you know about professor Gast?" said Sephiroth.

"It was in the files," said Cloud. Zack immediately went to catch Cloud as it was clear the teen was losing the battle in staying awake.

Sephiroth was rather frustrated as the blond passed out at last.

"I don't get what the big deal is," said Genesis.

Sephiroth looked at Genesis with irritation.

"If Cloud knows that Gast was the original scientist in charge of my development, then it's possible he might know who my mother is," said Sephiroth.

"Wait, what?!" said Zack in shock.

It was a well kept secret that Sephiroth had no idea who his birth mother was. Hojo claimed that her name was Jenova and that he would meet her eventually, but Sephiroth trusted the scientist even less than he trusted Hojo's morals. It was far too likely Hojo was lying to him in an effort to control him.

So the fact a mere _teenager_ knew that Gast was the one to create the original SOLDIER injections and not Hojo...it gave Sephiroth hope that Cloud might know who his mother is, or at least where to look for the files. Such as his birth certificate for instance.

Fortunately Cloud would soon be a SOLDIER. Sephiroth could be patient...he just had to keep the blond away from Hojo.

* * *

Sephiroth was rather patient. He waited for Cloud to get over the worst of his hangover before discreetly taking him aside and asking the question he desperately wanted answered.

"You mentioned professor Gast last night."

Cloud blinked.

"I did? I must have been more drunk than I thought."

"How did you know that Gast was the one who performed the initial injections on me and not Hojo?" said Sephiroth.

"It was in the files. Vincent might have had to explain most of the terms I ran across, but it was his name on the paperwork. At least until you were five or so...then Hojo's really crappy handwriting took over. I can only assume the creep had Gast killed," said Cloud.

Sephiroth cataloged the name.

"Why are you so interested in Gast? I mean you knew more about him than I do," asked Cloud.

Sephiroth sighed.

"I was hoping you might know who my mother is. Hojo keeps putting it off and the only thing he would tell me about her is that her name is Jenova and that I would meet her eventually."

"Jenova? That quack actually made you believe that _thing_ was your mother?" said Cloud, scrunching up his face in disgust. "He's a bigger idiot than I thought."

Hope sparked in Sephiroth's chest. If Cloud could say something like that and mean it, then the chance he knew who his mother was jumped up exponentially.

"Why do you say that?"

"Jenova is the name of a corpse that Gast's team dug up in the Northern crater a few years before you were born. Supposedly it's an 'ancient' but in reality it's some sort of alien parasite that simply took over a body. There's no way that thing could be your mother...besides, the birth certificate I found clearly listed a scientist by the name of Lucrecia Crescent as your mother. Though I have high doubts Hojo is actually your father... you look nothing like him and the parallels between you and Vincent are too disturbing to be a coincidence," said Cloud.

Sephiroth's heart leaped into his chest. Finally, after so many years of being in the dark he had a name.

"Where did you find these files?"

"ShinRa mansion. There's an entire lab in the basement levels with files regarding your development, never mind the main library where Gast stored his research under false titles to keep Hojo from getting his hands on them."

"I've never heard of it," said Sephiroth. Surely he would have stumbled across it before now.

"It's in Nibelhiem. Amusingly enough, we're both from there though you at least got to leave around the same age I did," said Cloud.

"What do you mean?" asked Sephiroth curiously.

"I mean Lucrecia had you in Nibelhiem. It was only after a certain...incident...that Hojo had everything moved to another area."

The 'incident' being a very pissed off Vincent nearly gutting Hojo during one of his rampages. Hojo managed to sedate the creature and lock him up in the coffin, but he wasn't stupid enough to stick around in case Vincent got free a second time.

Sephiroth latched on to this new information like a man would reach for water in the desert. Hojo refused to tell him anything and insisted that Sephiroth should be above his past.

"By the way sir, if you want to learn more about your mother I can give you the PHS number to someone who would have more details than I would. He'd probably be happy to tell you quite a bit," said Cloud.

"Who is he?"

"A Turk, or a former one considering what Hojo did to him," said Cloud.


	6. Chapter 6

If there was one thing Sephiroth hated more than Hojo at times, it was incompetence. Unfortunately most of his secretaries fell into this category.

The length of their stay as _his_ secretary generally depended on how long his patience would last and what infractions they made while working under him. Some lasted a few months, others were lucky to last a week. After the third incident when Sephiroth lost his patience, Lazard made a point to screen any new ones in case they were part of the Silver Elite trying to get new 'ammunition' for their group.

The last one was lucky Sephiroth didn't want to deal with the fallout...he had been sorely tempted to kill her and be done with it.

Lazard gave Sephiroth a pained look.

"You have _got_ to quit firing your secretaries. Do you know the amount of time I have to put in to do background checks on new ones?" he complained.

Sephiroth snorted derisively.

"If you would give me someone who is at least competent we wouldn't have this problem."

"You can have competence or easy access to the Silver Elite. Not both," he pointed out.

Sephiroth would have replied, but a sudden thought occurred to him.

"What if I 'promoted' one of the men to act as a secretary?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean one of the newer SOLDIERs has shown an aptitude for intelligence over brute strength and has proven professional enough not to let his hormones dictate his actions. I'm sure with enough training he could handle this sort of work," said Sephiroth.

Cloud had openly stated that he wanted to get into a decent college. Acting as a secretary wouldn't eat up too much time and there were a few schools that Sephiroth knew of that did online courses. Paying for him to earn a degree while acting as a barrier between Sephiroth and the rest of the idiots would be simple enough. He would just have to fill out the proper paperwork.

Lazard seemed to have an idea who Sephiroth meant.

"Fill out the paperwork to act as his mentor and I'll look the other way if you want to make him your secretary. So long as he goes on a set amount of missions each month, I'll say nothing on the matter."

"Deal," said Sephiroth.

Cloud had to be a better choice than some of the females that kept getting sent his way. At the very least he had shown he had an actual brain under that blond hair, which was more than he could say about half of his previous secretaries.

* * *

_A few days later..._

"I can't believe it! How did you convince _Sephiroth_ to become your mentor Spike?" asked Zack incredulous.

Cloud snorted.

"More like he was tired of insipid women trying to flirt with him while acting as his secretary," said Cloud.

Sephiroth had approached him once the paperwork went through and explained why he had done it. Cloud wasn't about to argue on the matter considering he was being paid a bit extra _and_ got to take online college courses for free. So long as he filed the paperwork properly and did most of the running for Sephiroth, what he did during his free time was entirely up to him.

That wasn't to say Sephiroth wasn't going to train with him. He took the mentor title seriously, after all. However the fact was that Sephiroth currently needed a secretary more than an apprentice, and Cloud's current fighting style actually meshed better with Genesis more than Sephiroth.

"But still Spike, do you have _any_ idea how many of the men would kill to be in your position?" said Zack.

"Zack, do you know the real reason Sephiroth filled out those forms?" said Cloud, darkly amused.

"Not really."

"He needed a new secretary, but he was tired of dealing with the vapid females he kept getting stuck with. However he knows for a fact I can't stand the Silver Elite, I have an actual brain in my head that I know how to use properly and if I do develop a crush I'll at least remain professional enough not to let it affect my work ethic," said Cloud. "The mentorship thing was Lazard's way of compromising on the issue, since technically I have to go on missions."

"I still say you're a lucky bastard. And who knows, something might develop between you and Seph. Gods know you'd be good for him, since I know you aren't inclined to take advantage of him like most."

Cloud rolled his eyes at that. Honestly, he didn't think he had a chance for anything to develop that way and even if it did, he wouldn't have the first clue how to go about it.

Being Sephiroth's new secretary was surprisingly easy. Most of it was Cloud acting as interference from stupid requests. And occasionally "redirecting" certain piles of paperwork to people who could use the extra headache.

Like commander Genesis. Boy was he pissed when he figured out what was going on. Angeal, however, found it hilarious as did Zack.

Sephiroth knew then and there making Cloud his secretary was worth becoming his mentor. If only for the entertainment of Genesis getting stuck with some of the more mind-numbing files that only needed someone with the right authorizations and didn't actually _need_ Sephiroth's approval.

Authorizations that the "Big Three", as they were called, had.

He still didn't know _how_ Cloud had done it, but he had somehow laced Sephiroth's door with some sort of materia that caused anyone who wanted to bother him for something that wasn't actually _his_ problem to be diverted to another area. Usually in vastly entertaining ways.

He found himself with actual free time and the ability to nap knowing that he had someone on the other side of the door fully capable of being a complete pain in the ass and ruining someone's day.

The idea of being able to _relax_ on company time was positively addicting.

* * *

Cloud didn't know if it was the recent Mako injection or if his eye was protesting wearing contacts while staring at a computer for so long. Either way his left eye was throbbing.

"Strife, come in here."

Cloud rubbed his left eye one more time, but did as commanded. Sephiroth was a pretty decent boss, and forgave small mistakes so long as the person making them didn't repeat them too often.

"Is there any reason your file failed to mention an eye problem?" asked Sephiroth.

"Problem?" repeated Cloud confused.

"Zack has walked by twice and both times you were rubbing your left eye," said Sephiroth.

"My contact is bothering me," said Cloud. "I think I've been staring at the screen too long and I don't have my eye drops with me."

Sephiroth gave him a flat stare.

"I find it hard to believe that you still have eye problems after your first Mako injection."

"I don't have eye problems," Cloud corrected tiredly. "I just prefer it when people actually look me in the face, rather than avert their eyes simply because they find the fact I have heterochromia unnerving."

"Heterochromia?" repeated Sephiroth. He wasn't familiar with the term. "Is this going to impact your ability to work?"

"So long as I pop my contact out and get my usual eye drops, I should be fine to work until closing," said Cloud.

"Do so. I prefer my SOLDIERs in fighting condition at all times, Strife."

"Yes sir," said Cloud.

It took him all of five minutes to get his eye drops in, mostly because he had to find them.

About two hours later Sephiroth called him in again. This time to deliver files to Lazard.

The second Sephiroth heard Cloud enter the room, he looked up...and stared.

"I thought you said your contact was bothering you," he commented.

"It was. I took it out once I left the office," said Cloud.

"Then why do you have two different colored eyes?" demanded Sephiroth.

"Like I said before, I have heterochromia," said Cloud slowly. He honestly expected Sephiroth to look up the term once he left the room. "It means I was born with two different colored eyes."

Sephiroth stared him down, though the left eye was glowing with an internal light that could be mistaken for Mako, if it wasn't for the sensation of some ancient being judging him. He silently handed Cloud the files.

"Take these to Lazard."

"Yes sir," said Cloud.

Once he was out of the room, he missed the fact Sephiroth looked up the condition and found that Cloud wasn't joking.

Thinking back to the vivid green eye that reminded him of growing things, Sephiroth shivered. It wasn't from the air conditioning or from a sudden chill.

There was something very striking about that green eye that made the blue one seem even more brilliant.

Sephiroth tried to shake the feeling, but he would have great difficulty getting the image of Cloud's mismatched eyes out of his mind.

Cloud's left eye went back to a slightly different shade of blue the next morning. The memory of his green eye would haunt Sephiroth for much longer.

* * *

_Two months later..._

Sephiroth felt like hell, but that was normal after a 'special' injection.

Gods, he _hated_ those with a passion.

Cloud walked in, took one look at his mentor, and sighed. He put the files down and walked out without a word...however something nudged on the edge of his senses. It felt almost as if someone was casting materia, though not one he was familiar with.

The smaller blond walked in a second time, only this time he was holding a pair of noise-canceling headphones.

"Sir, I highly recommend laying down and putting these on so you can take a nap. You look like hell."

"I have work to do," said Sephiroth.

Cloud crossed his arms and gave Sephiroth an unimpressed look.

"Any work you have to do can wait a few hours. No one is going to bother you for at least six. Now go lay down," said Cloud in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

Sephiroth was nothing if not stubborn.

"Fine. I was going to try the easy way, but if you're going to be a stubborn idiot then I suppose we can try the hard way since you refuse to take care of yourself properly," said Cloud.

Sephiroth didn't know what meant by that, but it took him a few minutes to register the fact that Cloud had taken out his contact.

He felt Cloud's smaller, but firm hand on his own.

Sephiroth was positively _hypnotized_ by the sight of that green eye which was only amplified by the blue he was so used to. He barely registered being firmly lead to the couch in his office, which was just long enough to lay down on.

He couldn't explain how or why he found himself lying down on the couch, just that he found himself staring up a bit at Cloud's mismatched eyes that were glowing warmly.

It was strangely soothing.

"Just rest sir. The world isn't going to end just because a bit of paperwork was late to be filed."

The last thing Sephiroth remembered was the feeling of a blanket being thrown over his tired form, and the sound of Cloud's gentle humming...the tune sounded hauntingly familiar. Like a song he had heard a long time ago before Gast's death and Hojo's depravity.

He woke up around midnight, feeling considerably better than he had when he laid down.

However that didn't hide the fact he currently had a hard-on and the vivid memory of a blue and green eye staring down at him with an expression that would be haunting him for days. The gentle warmth they possessed and the fact Cloud had taken it upon himself to see that the "great general" actually took care of himself for a change when everyone seemed to believe he was some invincible being was not something he'd be forgetting any time soon.

* * *

_With Cloud_

Cloud tried to sleep, but the image of a tired Sephiroth obeying his order to actually take care of himself for once and get some rest made it impossible.

Though most of that was Harry using his "leader" voice, Cloud had to admit he found the idea of staring down a half-awake Sephiroth really appealing.

Looking down, he had to curse.

He _hated_ teenage hormones...they made things more awkward than they needed to be and the last thing he wanted was for Sephiroth to get the wrong idea. He just hoped his hard-on would go away by morning.

Unfortunately, images of Sephiroth plagued him the entire night.

Even worse, Zack noticed his 'problem' the next morning.

Today was going to be a long, awkward day.


	7. Chapter 7

"Sephiroth is sick?" said Cloud.

"Yeah, apparently he managed to catch that super bug the doctors have been dealing with from Junon. He's sick as a dog and probably won't be in for at least three days if he's lucky. Good news for you, since it means you have a couple of free days, right?" said Zack.

"Who's taking care of him?" asked Cloud.

"No one, I guess? I mean I had to wheedle out his condo address out of him and he went so far as to keep it off company records so the Turks can't bug it," said Zack. "I'm sure he's fine. He's Sephiroth, for crying out loud."

"Right, you're coming with me."

Zack blinked.

"Where are we going?"

"You are coming with me to get groceries. Then you are going to show me where Sephiroth lives and if you're lucky I _may_ feed you," said Cloud bluntly.

Zack was more bemused than anything and let the smaller teen drag him off to get groceries.

He was a bit confused why Cloud got so many fresh ingredients and avoided most of the canned stuff. Zack almost had to cringe at the price tag, but his curiosity about what Cloud intended to do with this stuff beat out the pain to his wallet.

To say Sephiroth was less than amused at the intrusion was putting it mildly.

Zack found it far more interesting that Sephiroth calmly obeyed Cloud's rather firm order to lay down on the couch while he made something that Sephiroth could at least keep down.

Zack had managed to find a book that caught his interest, considering Sephiroth looked like crap and didn't have a television to watch anything with.

He was halfway through it when his nose started to twitch and he took notice of the fact that the place smelled of something _heavenly_, even to his enhanced sense of smell.

He wasn't the only one to notice. Even Sephiroth was taking a strong interest in whatever Cloud was doing in his admittedly bare kitchen.

Seeing the bowls in Cloud's hand, Zack eagerly waited for Sephiroth to cautiously take a bite before blinking and digging in with considerably more enthusiasm.

Zack took one spoon of the chicken soup...and melted.

"Gods, this is way better than the mess hall food! Why didn't you say you could cook?" said Zack.

"It never came up. I made sure to add plenty of vegetables and a few healthy spices, which should help with the congestion," said Cloud.

Sephiroth could already tell the difference. He still felt like crap, but he could at least breath now and his stomach had finally settled with solid food in it.

Cloud set down a cold drink, and Sephiroth tried it. It was fruity, but not overpowering.

Zack tried it and nearly inhaled the entire thing in less than five minutes.

The silver-haired general didn't argue when Cloud ordered him to get some sleep. Zack watched the entire thing with fascination.

"Damn Cloud... you have Seph _whipped_."

Cloud rolled his eyes.

"More like he knows better than to argue against the one who can feed him when he's this sick."

"Still, why didn't you say you could cook?"

"It never came up," said Cloud. "I didn't exactly have many friends and mom was happy she had something we could do together before I left Nibelhiem."

Which was partially true, but most of his cooking knowledge came from Harry.

Four hours later, Sephiroth woke up and looked a bit better than he had when they arrived.

Zack looked between the two of them.

"You planning to stay the night, Spike?" asked Zack.

"Only if Sephiroth is okay with it," said Cloud. "You really shouldn't rely on that canned stuff when you're ill sir."

Sephiroth was still tired, however what Cloud was offering did at least register.

"I have no problem with you occupying the guest room for a few days, Strife," said Sephiroth.

Especially if it meant he didn't have to cook or clean up after himself until he was back on his feet. Cloud's cooking tasted better and actually stayed down. Besides, Sephiroth's cabinets were bare save for what Cloud brought with him. He had been planning to do some shopping when he came down with his current illness.

Zack couldn't hide the grin on his face. Maybe if Cloud stuck around, the two could get past the unspoken sexual tension between them.

* * *

Cloud came in to the room to check Sephiroth's base temperature.

"What's your standard temperature?" he asked Sephiroth. There was no telling if Sephiroth ran a little hotter or colder than normal.

Sephiroth tried not to yawn.

"I tend to run a degree or two higher than the standard norm."

Cloud nodded and carefully put the thermometer in his mouth.

"Well according to this you're running a fever of a hundred. It's not too serious, but you're definitely staying home until it breaks," said Cloud firmly.

Sephiroth wasn't in the mood to argue. Cloud made sure there was a glass of water next to the bed, before pulling up the covers around the sick-as-a-dog general.

"Try to get some sleep."

"Do you really need to wear your contacts?" asked Sephiroth.

Cloud blinked.

"Would you prefer to see my normal coloring instead?"

"Yes."

"Let me go wash my hands then, okay?" said Cloud gently.

Sephiroth didn't know how long it took, but Cloud seemed to come back in no time at all. His left eye was a vibrant green.

The silverette leaned in to Cloud's hand when he gently stroked the man's long hair. He found it incredibly comforting, hearing Cloud hum a lullaby from Nibelhiem to ease him back into sleep.

It felt...nice. Hojo never would have been this gentle or nurturing. He would have told Sephiroth to suck it up (though maybe not with those words specifically) and experimented on him further for falling prey to something as mundane as a sickness going around.

Cloud however treated him as something precious. Something that needed to be cared for, while at the same time acknowledging Sephiroth's strength without being a total parasite about it.

Sephiroth nuzzled into Cloud's hand, unaware of the blush spreading across the blond's face. He didn't stop though.

For the next two days, Cloud took care of Sephiroth from giving the man something moderately healthy to eat that would keep his strength up and at the same time be easy for his poor stomach to keep down, to cleaning up the apartment.

Most of that was changing the sheets once the man's fever finally broke and doing dishes.

Did not stop Sephiroth from wandering around his condo with a blanket wrapped around him like a shield.

Cloud thought it was ridiculously adorable, but kept that to himself.

On the third day, when Sephiroth was mostly back to himself, Cloud found himself with the general's head in his lap, silently demanding attention. Much like an overgrown cat, which wasn't too far off considering Sephiroth's eyes were decidedly cat-like and he had a personality to match a large predatory feline.

Cloud was debating on whether to get up and get a drink of water when he noticed Sephiroth's eyes staring into his own intently.

Before he could say a word, Sephiroth's face had already closed in and he felt the older man's lips against his.

Bewildered, and more than a bit curious as to where this was going, Cloud didn't resist. Sephiroth took that as the invitation it was and did it again, deepening the kiss.

The older man practically purred when Cloud's hand sank deep into his silver hair.

Perhaps it was the influence of his teenage hormones, or perhaps it was just the many, many weird dreams that had been haunting him of late, but Cloud didn't resist when Sephiroth lead him to the bedroom with intent.

He certainly didn't argue when Sephiroth bit into his shoulder somewhat possessively and said with a slight growl "Mine."

* * *

_The next morning..._

Zack took one look at the way Cloud was having trouble meeting Sephiroth in the eyes and how Sephiroth was looking considerably more mellow than normal, before a shit eating grin crossed his face.

"It's about freaking time!"

Cloud glared at him.

"What does that mean?" he demanded.

"Oh come on Cloudy, anyone with eyes could tell you had a thing for Seph, and that Sephiroth was interested in you. Hell we were about to start a betting pool to see how long it took for you two to get a clue!" said Zack.

"Fair, don't you have work to do?" interrupted Sephiroth.

"I have to know...did Sephiroth top you or did you dominate him?" asked Zack.

"Zack, I have to warn you that if you keep asking questions about my nonexistent relationship with Sephiroth, I will be forced to retaliate in a way that will have a certain red-haired Turk taking notes if only so he can try and replicate it on his co-workers," said Cloud in warning.

Zack's grin didn't fade.

"So who made the first move? I bet it was Sephiroth...you don't exactly seem to know what sex is," said Zack.

Cloud openly glared at him.

"Just remember, you were warned to drop it first."

Zack snorted, not taking Cloud's threat seriously.

Oh how he would dearly regret that by the next morning. Cloud's revenge lasted for an entire week and not even Sephiroth felt enough pity for the violet-eyed man to call the pissed off blond off.

On an unrelated note, Reno did take a considerable amount of notes and the second he figured out who was the culprit behind the pranks against Zack he insisted on getting advice from a potential enabler.

(Elsewhere Vincent felt a shiver go down his spine and he spared a brief moment to pray in pity for the Turks. That was about as much empathy as he gave them, considering Cloud's pranks were a good way to train up their situational awareness.)

* * *

In retrospect, he should have figured it out after Sephiroth gave him a key to his private residence. Or when the general discreetly had his room reassigned to his home.

In reality it took realizing that he had been living with Sephiroth for the better part of two weeks to realize they were dating.

Sephiroth was openly amused when the epiphany hit Cloud like a brick to the face. Rather than question it, the less-than-social blond snuggled deeper against Sephiroth.

Did not stop Zack from crowing for a solid week about being right...or Cloud from retaliating by bespelling the man into wearing a _pink_ version of his standard uniform for three days straight. Zack thought they were his normal clothes until his girlfriend Aerith made a comment about it on their date.

Zack was horrified, and there was no way he was living it down because the spell had been on him long enough that _everyone_ had gotten blackmail pictures.

Genesis had never laughed that hard in his life, seeing Angeal's Puppy walk around oblivious in that color.

Only to laugh even _harder_ when three days later, most of the Turks not already on assignment started sporting bright red suits instead of their standard dark blue for a full day.

Reno had a shit eating grin, as he regretted nothing. Especially not bribing Cloud into pulling the same thing on his department.

Tseng looked like a lobster in all that red.

* * *

Zack was in a bad mood, and it wasn't entirely his fault. He had finally worked up the courage to propose to Aerith, only for her to turn him down because she didn't want to marry a SOLDIER. Something about the Company having it in for her.

He tried not to let it affect him, but the fact was that everyone could sense Fair was unhappy about something and it was causing him to snap at people who had the bad luck of being around him.

So when he snapped at someone asking if he was alright, it took him several seconds to register it was Cloud.

Cloud stood there without a word, not even commenting on his foul mood.

"Zack... you've been acting out of character for a week. What happened?"

Zack flinched. But it didn't change the fact a girl he really liked had dumped him without much warning.

"It's nothing."

"You're acting like a girl on her period," deadpanned Cloud without any remorse.

"I am not!" said Zack irate.

Cloud gave Zack the stink eye.

"You're acting moody and your general behavior swings from depressed to pissed and you have been biting the heads off everyone without any explanation or reason," said Cloud without hesitation. "All that's missing is you bleeding in your underwear."

"You're an asshole," said Zack, grossed out by the subject.

"And you're an idiot who apparently needs reminding you do have friends who are concerned about your behavior and want the real Zack back, not this brooding teenage moron who acts like the world owes him something," Cloud shot back.

That seemed to spark something in Zack.

"Are you saying you finally acknowledge the fact we're friends Spike?" he asked quietly.

Cloud finally gave into temptation. He slapped Zack upside the head.

"I'm saying if you agree to come clean about what's bothering you, there's a high chance you'll be able to figure out why my left eye keeps changing colors," said Cloud.

Zack blinked, before he gaped at Cloud.

"Wait...you mean if I finally talk, you'll let me see what the big secret is you've been hiding about that eye of yours?"

"Yes. Sephiroth already knows and I'm fairly certain it's why he jumped me once his sickness finally went away," said Cloud absently. Then he realized the mistake he made.

"I knew it! I knew you were too awkward to make the first move!" said Zack, starting to act like his old self as he crowed triumphantly.

"Come on, I'm sure Angeal would love to hear why you've been acting off for the past week and a half."

Zack followed and found a worried Angeal already waiting in the room with Sephiroth. He looked relieved to see Zack acting somewhat like his usual self.

Cloud handed him a drink.

"Now talk. What happened that made you act so weird."

Zack winced.

"...I proposed to my girlfriend Aerith and she turned me down. She said she couldn't marry a SOLDIER since the company apparently has it out for her and she didn't want my job to get between her and whatever Hojo wants her for," said Zack.

Angeal winced. Cloud however had a pretty good idea what Hojo wanted.

"Great...so Hojo's creepy sex-dungeon strikes again," said Cloud in disgust.

That caused Zack _and_ Sephiroth to choke, just a little.

"What?" said Zack, bewildered.

Cloud gave him a sympathetic look before he explained.

"Gast originally operated under the assumption that Jenova was a Cetra. Aerith, if she's who I think she is, is Gast's daughter and quite possibly the last Cetra descendant alive. Or at least one that has any real ability to use their powers as diminished as they are. Knowing that creepy gnome he probably wants Aerith to try and breed her with Sephiroth or something just as ridiculous because according to the notes, Sephiroth has a high level of Cetra genes. Which is ridiculous because Jenova wasn't possessing a Cetra when it was originally put into stasis," explained Cloud.

Zack stared at him.

"How do you know all this stuff?"

"I've read pretty much all the files in the Nibelhiem mansion...that and Hojo is apparently shit at picking passwords. There's an active retrieval mission for Aerith, but apparently Tseng isn't inclined to care too much about Hojo's stupid demands because he mostly just has some of the Turks guarding her and pretends to ignore the retrieval part."

"Wait...are you responsible for that shipment of green jello that was mistaken for mako being sent to Hojo's labs last month?" said Sephiroth suspiciously. "The one that he has been adamantly denying ordering, despite the fact that it had _his_ name on the order form?"

Cloud had a positively wicked look.

"Do the words 'plausible deniability' tell you anything?" he asked.

"That's great and all, but you said you'd explain why you wear contacts," said Zack. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Aerith apparently _did_ have someone high up after her.

Cloud looked slightly depressed.

"Most of my childhood was spent with people unwilling to look me in the eye when they talked to me. I found it was easier to deal with them by hiding behind books, and they were a lot less cruel than actually talking to people. Children can be really vicious when the adults aren't there to tell them off and Nibelhiem isn't exactly a place that accepts anything that's openly different."

Zack pulled the blond into a hug.

"It's okay Cloud. We won't hold the fact you're a bookworm against you," said Zack.

"Actually I became a bookworm in an effort to shield myself from people's nasty rumors about me," said Cloud.

With the ease of practice, he popped out his left contact and put it into the small container. He blinked a few times to get used to having it out, and waited for Zack's reaction to his actual eye color.

"I thought you were taking your contacts out?" asked Zack.

"I did. I have heterochromia. Nibelheim is a close-minded place that hates anything that they think isn't normal, so how do you think they'd react to someone naturally born with two different eye colors?"

Zack stared. It was really weird, looking at Cloud's eyes. There was something deep and ancient staring back at him from the green one.

He was starting to get why Cloud wore the contacts, and why he hid his left eye.

He still pulled the blond into a hug though. Just because his left eye was a bit weird didn't make him a monster or anything and maybe if Cloud saw it didn't bother them he'd stop wearing those contacts so often. He knew it bothered his eyes a lot.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'll admit, this was my favorite chapter of this story. Every time I read the byplay between Genesis and Cloud I crack myself up. XD**

* * *

Genesis had to blink at Cloud's mismatched eyes. He was used to random shades of blue, not blue and green.

Zack spotted him when he left the office.

"Noticed Cloud's eyes?"

"Yeah. He switch contacts?"

"I made a deal with him. I'd stop being such a moody asshole about being dumped and he had to stop wearing contacts for a full week."

"Wait...so that's his natural eye color?" said Genesis. "Why would he hide them?"

"Something about his old hometown being full of assholes who disliked anything that wasn't exactly normal. Hopefully he'll get used to the fact people aren't going to avoid him for having two different eye colors and relax."

Genesis thought that one over and winced. If a kid had been born like that in _his_ hometown, they would have been bullied and harassed too. No wonder Cloud turned to books...they couldn't mock him for something he had no control over.

"So...you got dumped?" said Genesis.

Zack had been a total pain the past week, and it had worried Angeal. Zack winced.

"I proposed to my girlfriend and she turned me down because I'm a SOLDIER," he said.

"Ouch," said Genesis with slight sympathy. "If she had such a problem with it, why did she go out with you in the first place?"

"I have no idea. I thought she was fine with it, and then she tells me that," said Zack.

Just the thought of it made him incredibly depressed.

"Genesis, slap Zack. We need to keep his head in the game, not about the fact a girl dumped him," said Cloud loud enough for the red haired commander to hear him.

Genesis did so with great glee.

"Ow! Cloud, you're mean!"

"And you're incredibly distracting. Unless you need me to send some of the paperwork people insist Sephiroth complete your way instead of to Genesis."

"I knew it was you!" said Genesis irate.

"People keep forgetting there's three commanders. I just share the love," deadpanned Cloud.

Genesis would swear he heard Sephiroth snort with amusement at that comment.

"Remind me again how long it took Mr. McGrumpypants to declare his unrequited love for chocobo?" said Genesis with a drawl.

"I am not a chocobo! And if anything, at least my ass doesn't look like it's on fire when I go in for a physical!" said Cloud loudly.

Zack sputtered, before he cackled loudly.

"Like you would know! I bet Sephiroth loves having an unrestricted access to _your_ ass!"

"At least mine isn't sagging from _old age_. Hell, even Zack's ass is smaller than yours!"

"You take that back! My ass is perfect!" snapped Genesis.

Zack was too busy laughing his ass off at the byplay between Genesis and Cloud. The blond had gone from an anti-social bookworm to a chocobo with a hilarious bite to it.

"Can you keep it down Genesis, the entire floor can hear you!" said Angeal.

"Angeal, does my ass look fat?" demanded Genesis.

Angeal had a pained look on his face, while Zack laughed even harder.

"No, and I don't care about your ass. You're making a nuisance of yourself."

"But he started it!" whined Genesis.

"I don't care who started it, I'm _finishing_ it," said Angeal.

Zack was about dead at this point from laughing so hard. Cloud almost killed him once Angeal dragged Genesis off and he made the innocent comment of...

"Am I the only one who felt the urge to say 'yes mom' when Angeal said he was finishing our argument?"

Zack could only wheeze from another bout of laughter. The best part was that he totally agreed with that comment...Angeal did sound like a mom at that point.

* * *

Cloud happened to be heading down to the training room with a message from Lazard when Angeal came out half-carrying Genesis. He had a nasty wound on his shoulder.

"Shit... let's find an empty room and I'll see how bad the injury is," said Cloud. "Unless you want to deal with that creepy Hollander."

"I'll take the chocobo over the scientists any day," said Genesis quickly. Cloud had made it no secret he had read the entire library left behind in the ShinRa mansion back in Nibelheim, and the only reason the Turks weren't after his ass was because the company thought Sephiroth had the kid on a short leash.

Cloud genuinely did not give a shit about company secrets, and he wasn't much of a talker either so it was unlikely he'd start sharing them with people who could do some major damage with it. Besides, the Turks had been keeping track of the online classes and the papers he wrote to various journals when he was bored.

Chances were high that the blond might become yet another scientist on the company payroll.

Angeal sat Genesis down, and they took out Genesis' shirt.

Cloud frowned.

"Why isn't this healing up already? This sort of minor wound should have been fixed by the mako, or even a partial."

"I don't know, but it hurts like a bitch," said Genesis.

"'_There is no hate, only joy_

_For you are beloved by the goddess_

_Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds'_," said Cloud, which seemed to amuse Genesis.

"Nice to know someone else is a fan," said Genesis.

"I like classics, and _Loveless_ is at least tasteful," said Cloud absently. He handed Genesis a potion, mostly to see whether it would help. Genesis chugged it like a pro, but there was no recognizable difference. Cloud frowned.

"This is really odd. What sort of injections do you two get that are different compared to Sephiroth's?"

"Hell if I know. Hollander did mention once that he used dead J-cells, whatever that is," said Genesis grumpily.

Cloud was reaching into his bag for a herbal pain killer and froze when he heard that.

"Wait, did you just say _dead J-cells_?" he said in shock.

"Yeah, why?"

"No wonder this isn't healing up normally! What sort of idiot uses _dead_ cells, much less from that alien parasite?!" said Cloud horrified.

Seeing their alarmed faces, Cloud didn't hesitate to elaborate.

"What do you know about how vaccines work?"

Angeal frowned.

"Doctors use dead strains of certain illnesses to build up a decent immunity in order to prevent or at least downplay the symptoms if someone catches it," said Angeal.

"Imagine J-Cells are a virus...what do you think is going to happen if dead cells are injected into a living host and the cells reach a threshold that can no longer be sustained by mako?" said Cloud.

Genesis paled.

"The infection will either die out or kill the host."

"I think the cells that were put into you are reaching a critical point where they're starting to die off. Which means we either need to flush your system out of that crap, or try to keep you alive while your body does it for you," said Cloud firmly. "Honestly, why the hell does the president keep hiring half-assed scientists and then claiming they're geniuses?"

"Would adding fresh J-cells help?" asked Angeal. Cloud's _look_ shut him up rather effectively.

"Do you really think adding more of what made him sick in the first place would be a smart idea, when the Ancients very specifically called it a _calamity_, which implies that it caused more harm than good?" he said flatly.

Angeal winced.

"Besides, Gaia apparently learned it's lesson when it comes to 'outside visitors'. It took out the one that came after Jenova, despite the fact the second one was actually friendly," said Cloud absently. "And no, I'm not explaining that without enough booze to get all of us very drunk and have nasty hangovers."

"That bad?" asked Genesis.

"Worse."

* * *

_That night, Sephiroth's apartment..._

"So what's this about 'outside visitors'?" asked Zack.

Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis were all pleasantly buzzed at this point, and had come to the silent agreement that Cloud was a damn good cook.

Cloud had a mischievous smirk on his face, and his left eye _glowed_ from a light that wasn't caused by Mako.

For some reason, it made Sephiroth sit up and take notice. This was _not_ Cloud, but at the same time it was.

"Cloud?" said Zack concerned.

Cloud darkly chuckled, and there was a wickedness that made all four men sit up. That did not sound like the blond they were familiar with.

His green eye glowed ominously in the dark. It was positively hypnotizing, and there was depth to it that made one think they were staring into the abyss itself.

"_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess,"_ said Genesis staring.

Cloud, or whatever dark being possessed him.

"_Is that _really_ the best you could come up with?" _he deadpanned. The accent was definitely not one they were familiar with, even if the words sounded exactly like something Cloud would say.

Genesis didn't know what made him do it. He would state that outright when he was sober.

"You think you can do better?"

Cloud smirked.

"_Take my love, take my land_

_Take me where I cannot stand_

_I don't care cause I'm still free_

_You can't take the sky from me."_

"What is that?" asked Genesis.

"_Opening song of a short-lived show called _Serenity_," _shrugged Cloud.

There was a sudden bang, making everyone jump in fright, including Sephiroth.

Cloud, or whoever was using his body, cackled.

"_You should have seen the look on your faces!"_

"Ha, ha, very funny. What was that?" asked Zack, not willing to admit that Cloud had scared them good.

"_'If we spirits have offended, think but this and all is mended._

_That we have but slumbered here, while these treasured visions did appear,'"_ said Cloud with a smirk.

"I like that, what is it?" asked Genesis eagerly.

"_A Midsummer Night's Dream,"_ said Cloud. _"Or at least the only part most people ever remember with any reliability anyway."_

"Who are you?" asked Sephiroth. He wasn't sure how to feel about this 'person' controlling his boyfriend.

"_Call me Harry. I used a ritual with some unstable materia and ended up here on Gaia, though I was unaware the Planet had adopted a 'no outsiders' rule thanks to what happened with Jenova. So I ended up in the Lifestream only to be thrown out and end up being reborn as Cloud," _he said calmly.

"And Cloud...?" asked Sephiroth.

"_I have always been here in the back of Cloud's head. And before you ask, yes he is very well aware that I'm there and no, he doesn't want to evict me considering I'm firmly on the 'helpful' side of things. Besides, if you get rid of me then I can't help you deal with the problem Genesis and Angeal will be facing."_

"Wait...you can help us?"

Cloud shrugged.

"_I managed to purge Vincent of his more murderous voice in his head. At the very least my remedies should work a bit better than the standard potions you have here, even if they taste horrible."_

"How do we know this kid is telling the truth? For all we know Cloud has a split personality," said Genesis grumpily.

Cloud, or rather _Harry_, stared Genesis down. It was extremely unnerving to see in the chocobo.

He muttered something under his breath, and there was a loud yelp as Genesis was yanked up by his ankle and hung mid air without anything holding him up at all.

"Let me down!" said Genesis. His eyes were wide with shock.

There was no materia he knew that could do something like this.

Harry eventually let Genesis down, a little more believing now.

"So, you said that you could help us?" asked Angeal.

"_You and Genesis will be a bit easier than Sephiroth. He's practically saturated to the point it's going to take multiple sessions to purge him completely. But when I purged Vincent of that crap, he was throwing up black sludge for three solid hours and he wasn't getting regular injections of it,"_ said Harry. _"So you will probably have to claim you all caught some super bug that managed to get past the mako injections until it's gone. Considering Cloud and I had to nurse Sephiroth through one of those recently it should be believable enough so long as the scientists don't look too closely at your blood samples."_

Sephiroth grimaced at the reminder of that. Before Cloud showed up to insure he actually rested, he had felt like absolute crap.

"When can we start?" asked Genesis. His shoulder was absolutely killing him.

Before he had a chance to react (which startled all four SOLDIERs with how fast he was), Harry slammed his hand to Genesis' wound.

Blessed relief filtered through his body and he sagged in place. However there was something else that flowed into his body and seemed to supercharge the mako flowing through it.

"Thank the gods," said Genesis, rubbing his shoulder with relief.

"_You should stay here for a few hours while the spell takes effect. Once it does, you're going to be glued to the toilet,"_ said Harry.

It took two, and Genesis was torn between wanting to kill the chocobo and being sick as a dog.

However once it passed, his head felt clearer than he could remember it being and the wound on his shoulder looked half-way to healed.

Angeal and Zack were just as miserable the next morning as they purged the infection from their bodies...and helped to establish a possible infection that went after SOLDIERs.

When _Sephiroth_ caught it, or at least a lesser version of whatever it was, Lazard banned all five of them from work until it passed. He didn't need everyone in SOLDIER catching whatever it was that managed to get past the First's heightened immune systems.


End file.
